Portable overpass



PORTABLE `ovERPAss Filed Dec. '24, 1941 3 sheets-sheet 2- INVENTOR RL; LeTouz-neau.

BY-MM Jan. 9, 1945.

R. G. LE TOURNEAU PORTABLE OVERPAS S 3 sheets-sheet s Filed Dec. 24, 1941 lNvENToR l E Gleurneaw pass for `"such' purpose `which is sectional "and i footing secured thereto. i

readily assembled and `dissemloled, thus making Figurefisa perspectivelirieivof cnejof `thesegt i the structure portable andcapable of transport ments'otjthe"clover-leaf footing-f4 I l;

from intersection tointersectionfas necessity may` Pelfelflfllli'` HOW IHOI@` Particularly 'GO the Chalfi demand;` v 10` actrs 'of reference onthe drawings', theportable prtable overpass havigunique supportigper detachably `securedtol the? adjacentends of the strength to support a full motorivhicle load ;4 the Patented Jan. 9,-1945 V7 l s l l 1 UNllf'Ifl'zlD? STATES, 0F FICE t 1 ""2`,`36`6,916'5`1 n t t i PORTABLE ovERPfAss" `Robert` Gilmore Le Tournean, VP-coriagilll, l-assignor toR. G. Le Tourneau, Inc, a corporation `ot'` California `1 1i Application- December 24, 1941;-Se1ialNog 424,34211 o t p v solaires. 01.1441); t p The present Aufrfenti'onfrentes to the'structure Mook-ingdwnwardtoward the `piersection ecu: of-1an overpass `designedffor use to regulate motor `pling blocks. 4 i 1 vehicle-trafc` atbusy, congested or dangerous Figure isanjenlarged fragmentary perspecstreet and roadintersections;oneofthe principal tiveview'lofithelower end"of`oneof `the sectional objectsof thenven'tionbengto provide arr Qver- 5 piers? showing ther unique `form of` cloverfleaf` "Afurther object of heim/enden is sobrevida Ovrpas, *as Shownfdiagrarlmatcaly jin Fia 1, for use` at `streeti or "highway `intersections, a 9031131.54353auyarchedffntmlspn SlliPpOled portable overpass` which reduces corrgestior 111 *ground learancevrelatlqni bylsupportms; 131er dangerjof trafiicaccidents, and loss of time,'whi1e f f asemblls {Qdlad generan? a? 2" *End Spa-n 3 permitting free traic flow overan intersecting 15 rest at the Outer ends" on the gl'ound so that trafc1ane i j i 4their floorsF are" substantially i flushf with `the Another object "of the invention is, topro'vide a giundrorjpavement, and, at theirnner endsare or post assemblies for the centrfspancf the cmralvspan by means?? hmgeassenfbhes 41' i Y i i 20 Alltthe spansare substantlally the samelength, structure, such supportmgassembhes each-inalthough 1i-isis not essntal." i, i t i cuidlgg a erta sectlpnpler secured@ tgfethe Afsthef spans #of the overpass are of substan#` ai a .Jen` ier? s manove manner an a gom many-ine fsamerconsnruction., within@ exception engagmg .foot um "n the 10W end of Phe lowerf i that the cenit-,rai #span is arched; as shown, it i is most sefnon @f @mh mer Such foot Pmi-rmt only 25 unnecessartc describe* each spaninldetail, and conffmnmg Paddy t0 ground wndltlons hut'alsio adescription` of the centraltspan will sucei .servmg egtwely @Sa'wheegilardf i i Thisspanticomprises-apairiofparallel longi- An addltlonal Obllet Of the IHVQHUOILlS-rtwpm* mamareide` `girdersnf :hollow 100x-Imam con; ,Vide a Sectional and Portable overpassiqfwomstruction;these:bdxmeamisidefgirdsbeing dis- Pa'fativelywlesser Weigh'fflhan 1 permanent 30p posed: 'im transverselyispacedfrelation aidistance Werpass. Structures `Wh11e^pr0v1d1ng adequate somewhat-,greater than the overall Width of the t motor `Vehicles*which pass ove1-"t;he span, the reduced :Weight `0f the-Stmturewmakns possible p treadJ :of :the motor vehicle being indicated da: transportation off-.theoverpassyin-seotions, `from grammaticauy'm Figgeggby` @he `fmgln@Mary rep- Pointtoipnt. i t 135 resentationcftires,asat. i

"Awfurther object of thainventoniisfto provide Ayffogr plat@ `'1 exendsth fl'l .lengt-,h 0f the" la-Simple and rela'tYelYfvnexpensv@ 'Vepass 1 span vanclssecured"along opposite sides in 'con- StrllcilureforftheSafeland eCOIlOmCaI handling 0f i nection `with 'the -bcX beamfsideigirders 5 at the inbelsetiontraf andwwalsuprovide an overl bottomrcffmeiatter.' In ordertofstrengthen and t pass whichtwillbeiexceedinglyeffective `fcrjthe 40 stabilize thespan a plurality of box beam cross purposes for `iirliich itis designed; i i girders 8-f`aresecured beneath the floor plate l A H These objectsw accomplish byimeansriof-such in longitudinally spaced relation and extending structure and relative arrangement of parts-as fromside toside 4of the span `and under' girders 5. winiffuily appear byva, `perusaliloi :theV following Further rigidi-Wis provided by Axneans of longituspecicationandl claimsil: 45 dinal langle"membersglwliicn` connect between `In the drawings similar charactersof reference `the boxfbeani cross gird'ers directly below and indicate corresponding!partsintheseveraliviewsz supportingthe floorplate in" transverselyspacedl Figure 41 isa diagrammatic: sideelevationofthe t longitudnalrfplanes;whdhare substantially be-` portable overpass'.' neaththeiwportion `of fthe oorplateupon which Figure2iisiani-enlarged'fragmentary" side-ele'-` `50 theivehcle-tires 6 run; vationshoWing-fmainly tliearched centerlspan When the girdersj" are rectangular as shown,` and-thefsupportingfper assemblies-therefor: 3 tire or Wneelguards i@ are formedalo-ng opposite i. Figfre'i'san enlarged `crossl'section10111line sidesof the floor lplate*and enclosethe corner i 3.; 30f,pg, 2, t t i i between saidoorjplateand theadjacent erin` Figure-4 lisacross.sectionIon line 44\1of`Fg. 55 ner Wall cf the box beam side girders `5. l"

' guards I0 are of suilicient width transversely of The reason lfor making sec- Due to variance in street elevation beneath different supporting posts, and as the height of the center span above the street may vary from one installation to another, the lfootings I'I are initially separate from the lower post sections; the latter being of sucient length to permit the footings to be welded in place onsaid sections in such relative vertical positions as conditions may require to seat the footingon the street. Also the footings initially have a certain loose play relative to the post'sections whereby to entions II relatively short is so that they do not v materially project from the central span and thus when the structure is being transported in sections, do not form an obstruction. The upper section is Xed in connection with the span and particularly with end cross beams I3 formed in the span at its opposite ends, these end cross beams being of box construction but substantially larger and of greater strength than the cross girders. 8. An angle gusset plate I4 is secured between each one of the upper sections I I of the posts and the adjacent portion of side girders 5, whereby to positively assure of rigidity of said post sections Il.

The upper and lower sections II and I2 respectively of each post are connected together in rigid, alined but detachable relation by means of a plurality of pairs of coupling blocks or bosses I5 welded to the exterior of the post in symmetrically spaced relation, the separate coupling blocks on each section projectin-g somewhat beyond the adjacent end of said section and abutsecuring bolts i6 extend. It will be seen that by virtue of the fact that the coupling blocks I5 project beyond adjacent ends of the sections I I and I2, said ends always remain in slightly spacedrelation; the rigid securing of the sections and perfect alinement thereof being accomplished readily by engagement of the coupling blocks with each other, rather than by means requiring the engagement of the adjacent ends of the post sections themselves, which are roughcut. Further, by using these coupling blocks, the post sections are easily detachable one from the other.

Eachpost terminates at its lower end in clearance relation to the ground but is supported therefrom by a novel form of footing, indicated generally at I1, which is shown in detail in Figs. 4 6, inclusive. Each such footing I1k is substantially frusto-conical in configuration and is constructed of a plurality of segments I8 of the frustum of a hollow cone, these segments being welded together in edge to edge relation, whereby the resulting footing I'I is of clover-leaf de..

sign in plan. The upper end of each segment I8 is notched downwardly as at I9 and in the assembled footing eachof Athese notches engages a corner of the lower section I2 of the post and i the post as would a straight-around burn on the Same.

Such corresponding and matchingly en` gaging blocks have alined bores through which i able the footings to be adjusted to street contour and then welded to the post sections.

The end sections 3 are connected at their upper ends with the adjacent ends of the central span I by means of transversely spaced, cooperating ear assemblies included in part on w post sections Il, each assembly being detachably connected by means of a pivot 2|. It should also be noted that when the` end spans 3 are connected with thecentral span I, the4 floor ofthe end spans and the adjacent portion of the yfloor of the lcentral span are in substantial parallelism, whereby there is no hump at the point of juncture of the end spans with the central span, and as is desirable in an overpass structure.

The above described overpass is substantially of all welded construction, and is therefore very strong and capable of resisting vibration, etc., caused by motor vehicles passing thereover.

While each overpass is intended to serve only one-way traic at an intersection, two-way travel in opposite but parallel directions may be served by the use of two of the structures disposed in side by side relation and in longitudinal alinement with the traine lanes.

From the foregoing description it will be readi ily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. a

Having thus described my invention what I claimas new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: a

1. In a portable overpass which includes a central span, a plurality of posts supporting said span above the ground, said posts each comprising an initially separate upper and lower section, and means detachably and rigidly securing said sections together in alined but slightly spaced relation; said means comprising a plurality of pairs of coupling bosses disposed in spaced relation about the post, one boss of each pair being fixed on the upper post section and the other boss of each pair being iixed on the lower post section, the adjacents ends of each pair of bosses projecting beyond 'corresponding ends of the respective post sections, the bosses of each pair being in end to end alined engagement, and asecuring bolt passing through each pair.

2. A portable multi-section overpass comprising a central span having transversely spaced relatively short post sections depending in rigid relation therefrom at the ends, relatively long corresponding post sections initially separate from the central span, means adapted to rigidlyconnect corresponding ones of said relatively 'short and relatively longer post sections in rigid, central span supporting relation, an end span for each end of the central span, said end spans being adapted to `extend `from ground level at an upward incline to the .adjacent end of the central span, and means adapted to connect adjal cent ends of the centralvand end spans with the floor levels thereof at said ends in close relationship; said means comprising, below said levels, connector members on and projecting from said relatively` short posts, and matching 'connector members on and projecting from the upper ends of the end spans below oor IeVeL-and an element connectingcorresponding Connector mem- 5 bers of the central and end spans.

" ROBERT G. LE TOURNEAU. 

